WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Freshman Blayse Cholish hit her first career home run on Saturday that broke up a no-hitter in the sixth inning of game two, but the Kutztown University softball team dropped a pair of games to West Chester University, 5-3 and 7-2, in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action at West Chester's South Campus.
 
The Golden Bears (30-16, 16-12 PSAC East) will be the third seed in the Eastern Division for next week's PSAC Tournament. They will play on Thursday, April 30 at 11 a.m. in Quakertown against the second seed in the Western Division, which is still to be determined.
 
Kutztown led 3-1 in the opener as Colleen Smith, Danielle Sienko and Bridget Newman all had RBI to get KU out to the early lead. West Chester responded with a run in the bottom half of the third to draw within one, and won the game with three runs in the fifth inning, all with two outs.
 
Savannah Nierintz and Dominique Ficara both pitched for KU in the opener, while Ficara pitched a complete game in the nightcap with five strikeouts. All seven runs against KU in the nightcap were earned.
 
West Chester led 3-0 through four innings, but Cholish brought KU within one with a two-run homer to left field in the sixth inning. The homer broke a no-hitter against KU and was Kutztown's only hit of the game, as an error prolonged the inning to make both runs against West Chester unearned.
 
The Golden Rams once again answered KU's potential comeback with two homers and four RBI in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Brooke Harner won for West Chester in game two with a one-hit complete game. She notched 14 strikeouts, no walks, and did not allow an earned run.